


Devil’s threesome

by ylc



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Don't Be Fooled By The Title, F/M, M/M, Miscommunication, Multi, Post-Season/Series 01, a bit of angst, a bit of humor, a bit of pining, a lot of feelings, i can't write smut, ignores season 2 & 3, more on the fluffy side, so don't expect smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2019-10-30 03:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17820641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ylc/pseuds/ylc
Summary: In which Dan is firmly convinced Lucifer knows nothing about relationships, Lucifer tries to show him otherwise (or that’s his intention anyway) and Chloe can't decide how she feels about the development.





	1. What the hell Dan?!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! So, I’m new into this particular fandom, at least in terms of writing :P I started watching Lucifer two years ago and ever since I started watching it, I was intrigued by the dynamic between Lucifer & Chloe, they’re really quite perfect together, but I was also rotting so hard for Dan. So I figured, why pick one OTP when you can have an OT3?  
> I thought about writing this for ages, but I never really found the full inspiration for it. Now however I finally got down to writing a first chapter and I figured I’d share it. For the sake of clarity, this takes places shortly after the end of season 1, with bits of season 2 getting referenced. I don’t plan to include Charlotte or any of that plot, but I guess we’ll see where this take us ;)  
> So, without further ado, enjoy?

“l'm sure it's nothing,” Chloe says, with a confidence she doesn't really feel, the world's fakest smile fixed on her face. “I'm sure your dad just got the days mixed up.”

Trixie looks far from convinced, but then she's the daughter of two detectives. It'll take more than Chloe's obvious lies to fool her.

The thing is, Dan would have never forgotten it's his turn to watch her over the weekend. The man might have his flaws, but he's a good dad and he adores Trixie. And things between him and Chloe might be rocky, neither quite knowing where they stand after the whole mess with Malcom, but she thinks (or maybe she hopes?) that not everything is lost just yet, that he does want to make things work out between them and showing up in time would be a step in that direction and the fact that he didn’t…

Well, it's a little troubling.

To be fair though, Chloe knows work can be unpredictable. In all likelihood, Dan just got caught up with something and forgot to tell her. Sure, she’s technically her boss right now, so she would have heard if something had happened, but maybe someone asked Dan for help and it’s not like she owns him or something, so maybe--

 _There's no use on speculating,_ she tells herself as she parks outside Dan's apartment block. They'll go in and knock on the door, see if Dan just happened to overslept. And if not…

Well, she'll cross that bridge when she gets there.

* * *

 

Trixie knocks on the door, calling for her father. Chloe stares at the door, trying to keep her expression from betraying her worry. For a couple of minutes, no sound comes from inside the apartment, but before Chloe can properly panic, there's the sound of someone approaching the door. Chloe steps closer to Trixie, in case there’s trouble waiting for them inside, and then the door opens, revealing an sleep ruffled Dan and Chloe let's out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

That is, of course, when she realizes Dan doesn't look _sleep ruffled._ Oh no sir, she knows that look on her ex, _she was the reason for that look,_ not so long ago.

Dan looks _thoroughly shagged._

Chloe is unprepared for the rush of annoyance and sheer jealousy she feels at the realization. She thought-- But clearly she was mistaken. Clearly Dan is already over her, moving on indeed and she should have known, really. She’s been giving him a cold shoulder, not responding to his attempts of flirting and what did she expect, really?

“--so sorry,” Dan is saying and Chloe notices she hasn't been listening. “I'd have called, but I didn't notice how late it was and I--”

Jesus, he's not wearing a shirt, nor pants by looks of it, just a sheet wrapped around his waist. And is that a hickey on his neck? Does he have no shame? “You were clearly very busy,” she says disdainfully and Dan throws her an embarrassed smile and _yes, he should be embarrassed because--_

“Hey monkey,” she tells Trixie, wanting to leave before she does or says something she'll regret later. “Why don't we let daddy take a shower and get dressed while we get some pancakes at the IHop down the corner? Dad can join us later, when he's ready.”

“That's--” Dan begins, just to be interrupted by the door he was firmly holding semi-closed being open wide.

“Oh pancakes! Can I join you for breakfast too, Detective?”

Chloe blinks. " _Lucifer!"_ Trixie greets excitedly and Dan turns an interesting shade of red while the other man grins, completely unbothered by the fact that a) he's just as undressed as Dan is and b) he’s looking just as well shagged as Dan.

“Sure,” she finds herself answering, without having actually thought about it, still processing the whole scene. “We'll see you in a bit.” Lucifer grins, in that rakish way of his and closes the door after saying goodbye to Trixie, not allowing Dan a single word in.

Chloe feels remarkably proud of herself for not having a minor meltdown right then, right there.

She does not think many would have handled it as well.

* * *

 

Breakfast is… a curious affair, to say at least. Trixie has developed an unexpected fondness for Lucifer over their short acquaintance and the man has significantly warmed up to her, so they’re more than happy to carry on the conversation by themselves, completely unbothered by their companions’ silence. Dan and Lucifer are sitting on the same side of the booth, the first looking thoroughly uncomfortable. Chloe stares at them, trying to figure out what the hell happened: Dan has never been Lucifer’s biggest fan and Lucifer, in turn, doesn’t like Dan that much either.

 _Not Detective Douche anymore, I see_ , Chloe thinks and promptly scrunches her nose in displeasure. She’s not sure why she’s so angry but she’s fairly certain she has every right to be.

 _We need to talk,_ Chloe mouths and Dan nods, a resigned expression on his face. Lucifer throws an arm around his shoulders then, leaning back casually, perfectly at ease despite the tension on Dan’s shoulders and Chloe’s murderous look.

There is one thing to be said about this whole ordeal though:

Chloe definitely never saw it coming.

* * *

 

“What the hell Dan?!” Chloe demands, once they manage to sneak out of the restaurant by the flimsy excuse of _work,_ promising to come back right away. She’s angry, yes and frustrated, but she can’t figure out _why_ exactly and in turn that just makes her angrier and more frustrated.

“I don’t know!” Dan tries to defend himself, looking a bit panicked himself. “I don’t… I don’t know what was I thinking!”

“Maybe that’s exactly the problem,” Chloe snaps, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling oddly defensive. “What the hell?!”

“I don’t know!” Dan repeats, throwing his arms up. “We were-- well, we were talking about you, actually…” Well, that’s _weird_. Chloe doesn’t know how she feels about that and doesn’t really want to think about it too much. “And then we argued, some things were said, I left, he hunted me down to the flat and then we were kissing and one thing lead to another and…” He throws a desperate look in Chloe’s direction but she just arches an eyebrow, thoroughly unimpressed. “I don’t know, Chloe! I swear to god I don’t know what came over me.”

 _Don’t bring old dad into this,_ Chloe can hear Lucifer saying inside her head and she rolls her eyes at her own turn of mind. Clearly Lucifer’s delusions are affecting her too. “I thought-- I mean, you and I… I know things were shaky.” Dan looks devastated and Chloe has to look away, fighting to keep talking despite the lump in her throat. “And then you… I mean… what the hell, Dan? I thought you hated Lucifer’s guts?”

“I do!” Chloe arches an eyebrow and Dan seems to rethink his statement. “I think. I did, at least. But we’ve been… talking, sort of and… I don’t know. But Chloe... I love you.” The words make Chloe’s treacherous heart flutter and she glares. “I do. And I… he always… ever since he came into your life I… I was jealous. I suppose I still am.” He bites his lip, looking away. “But last night was… You know I never-- you know I’m bad at flirting with guys,” he says sheepishly and Chloe can’t help the smile that comes unbidden to her lips. They were a couple, yes, but they had been friends first and neither had been terribly shy about sharing their romantic and sexual past. “And Lucifer is… devastatingly attractive, it’s unfair really and I wouldn’t normally… but we were arguing and you know how he is, how he… he’s being mean, but it also comes out as teasing and this… aura of his…” he shudders and Chloe makes a face, still quite uncertain how she feels about this whole mess. “I’m sorry. I think?”

“You think?” she hisses, with more anger than she should probably feel. What right does she have to be angry, really?

Dan sighs, running his fingers through his hair. “Yes, well… I’m sorry if I hurt you in any way but I didn’t… I don’t think I actually regret it?”

Oh, good god. Why does breathing hurt so much? The air in L.A. is clearly getting worse. “Is this… is this something you plan on continuing, then?”

Dan stares at her, looking in a lot of ways like a kicked puppy and it only fuels Chloe’s anger, making easier to ignore the hole in her chest. What right does he have to look at her like that? She’s not the one who… that’s not… “No,” he says finally. “That’s not the plan.”

 _But I’m guessing getting in bed together in the first place wasn’t either,_ she thinks and she sighs. “Alright,” she agrees finally, uncrossing her arms and letting them hang at her sides, telling herself to relax. “I just… It took me by surprise. I apologize if I reacted poorly.”

Dan huffs. “All things considered, I think you reacted quite well Chloe.”

 _So do I._ “Anyway, we should head back. You know Lucifer’s approach to looking after Trixie is… unorthodox.”

“Trixie adores him,” Dan says, the smallest of smiles on his lips. “But yeah, he’s not exactly the best role model.”

Chloe chuckles and allows Dan to pull her into a hug. She hugs him back, perhaps a tad more tightly than what it would be necessary, but it feels nice and he doesn’t protest, so she figures it doesn’t really matter.

What an odd day is today turning out to be.

* * *

 

Later, as Chloe lies in bed, going through the events of the day, she tries to figure out why this… _thing_ between Dan and Lucifer bothers her so. On one hand, she and Dan are separated, yes, but there was a moment when she honestly thought they’d work things out. If the _issue_ with Malcom hadn’t happened, who is to say they wouldn’t have gotten back together? On the other, she and Lucifer are… _something_ . Or on the edge of becoming something. She has seen him work his magic in all sorts of people from all sort of backgrounds, she has seen the almost animal magnetism he has and while she was never truly drawn to him that way, there’s no denying she feels _something_ for him.

She had got married somewhat young, she knows. When she and Dan first broke up, she often found herself wondering if it was her fault, if marrying her highschool sweetheart had been another one of those silly all-American things she had done (nevermind she and Dan actually hadn’t got together high school; that’s where they met and she went and married him). She knows she loves Dan on some level, not only because he’s the father of her child, but because he’s her friend and (not-so-small betrayal aside), he’s always been someone she can lean on.

She sighs. Her feelings for Dan have never been quite easy, never quite black and white, but in all kinds of shades. She has _feelings_ for him, in a way she never had had before him and that she didn’t think she’d have ever again.

And Lucifer is… infuriating, yes, annoying and childish. Self centered. Odd. But also cute and amusing and he makes her feel… _something._ He went from being a torn on her side to being an actual _partner,_ someone she can actually trust with her life or, maybe even more telling, with her daughter’s life.

She bites her lip, hard enough to draw blood in a desperate attempt to distract herself from the odd stab of longing she can feel somewhere deep within herself. She supposes she can’t begrudge them their _relationship_ if they’re actually happy, but then Dan said the plan wasn’t for them to continue their little _whatever_ so...

Chloe sighs, hiding her face into her pillow. She should simply forget all about the matter, but she can’t stop turning the idea inside her head over and over. If Dan had found himself another lover, would she be reacting this way? She knows she’s practically immune to the fact that Lucifer seems to find himself a new conquest every other day, but this… this…

God, why does she feel betrayed all over again?

And what is she going to do about it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here’s a new chapter! This chapter takes place well before the events of the previous one, hope that’s not confusing :P And I hope you’ll enjoy it!

“Ah, Detective Espinoza. What a surprise to see you here!”

Dan rolls his eyes, turning his head in the direction of his interlocutor. Lucifer grins, in that devilish way of his and Dan attempts to smile, raising his glass in silent toast. “Not Detective Douche? We’re finally past that?”

“Well, it’s a little early to call it,” Lucifer replies easily, dropping himself on the seat next to Dan. “Let’s not jinx it.”

Dan rolls his eyes once more, leaning back on his seat, trying to relax. There’s something about Lucifer that always puts him on edge, but he can’t tell what it’s exactly. He has this aura about him that’s hard to ignore, always pulling you close despite every other sign of how much of a bad idea that is.

It doesn’t help how stupidly handsome he is, of course.

“So, _Daniel_ , what brings you to my den? Weren’t you under arrest?”

Dan snorts. “Something like that,” he agrees, unwilling to go into too much detail with bloody Lucifer Morningstar. He shouldn’t have come here tonight, he knows, of all the clubs in Los Angeles… “I’ve been demoted,” he finds himself explaining. “The department was quick to sweep all the Malcolm-issue under the rug and I got back to work without as much as a slap on the wrist and a severe talking down.”

Lucifer smirks, nodding along. “Well, a suppose a demotion isn’t that bad. You wouldn’t have survived jail, Daniel and the Detective and your little spawn would have been _devastated._ ”

Dan huffs. “How is that Trixie likes you so much?”

“I happen to be very charming,” Lucifer replies, still smirking. “I must say she’s growing onto me too.”

Dan shakes his head, amused. “Whatever you say.” He finishes his drink, making a face as he thinks Lucifer’s words over. “And you’re right. Jail-time would have been… unpleasant for everyone involved.”

Lucifer nods, gesturing for one of the waitress to bring them more drinks. “Have you told the Detective yet? I’m surprised you didn’t go to her right away.”

“I called her,” Dan says with a small shrug. “We talked for a bit but… I think she’s upset. And she has every reason to be, of course,” he hurries to add and Lucifer smirks. “I fucked up big time. But we agreed we’ll try to… make it work. Somehow.”

“Ah,” Lucifer murmurs, sounding oddly disappointed. “So you’ll get back together.”

“No,” Dan says, shaking his head. “No, I don’t think… If none of this had happened, who knows? But right now… no, I don’t see it happening.” He bites his lip, considering. “But for Trixie’s sake… we’ll try to figure out something.”

Lucifer nods slowly, evidently confused by all this. “Well, Daniel, enjoy your new found freedom. And don’t worry about the tab, your drinks are on me tonight.” Dan opens his mouth to protest and Lucifer waves a hand dismissively. “Have fun.” He winks and then he’s gone, disappearing among the crowd before Dan can even think of something to say.

Dan sighs, accepting a new drink from one the waitresses.

Lucifer is quite an odd fellow.

But maybe he’s not that bad.

* * *

 

Dan knows, rationally, that having been demoted was the best outcome possible for his participation on the whole Malcolm-ordeal. Chloe’s anger and consequential cold shoulder is a punishment of sorts to, far worse than anything the Department could have come up with. And he could live with that, he thinks, because he knows he has earned this peanance, but having to actually work with Chloe is much harder than he thought.

Chloe throws him an unimpressed look and that’s when he notices he’s been-- somewhat-- flirting with her. He can’t help it, it comes like second nature sometimes. Even when they were much younger and firmly on the _just friends_ category, he’d occasionally flirt with her, to defuse any building tension. Chloe would always blush furiously and stammer adorably, flustered with the attention: Dan doesn’t know how she survived the whole Hot Tube- debacle, considering she’s never known what to do with people showing interest in her.

Now of course, Chloe has outgrown that nervous teen, turning into a confident strong woman, who still doesn’t know what to do when people flirt with her, but who now simply doesn’t react in any way, except for, occasionally, rolling her eyes.

She does stammer a little when Lucifer is the one flirting, of course, but only when he’s made a particular honest heartfelt comment. _Seducing people,_ it seems, comes to Lucifer quite easily and so Chloe never takes it personally, but when he’s being sweet…

Not that Dan has witnessed that first hand, not exactly. He’s watched them for afar from time to time and Trixie occasionally recounts tales of her mother and her new found _friend_ and Dan does his best not to act on his stupid jealousy, because what right does he have, really, but--

“Dan,” Chloe snaps, in a tone that suggests she’s been trying to get his attention for some time. He stares at her, confused and she rolls her eyes dramatically. “The forensic report?”

“Oh, right!” he exclaims, fighting off the blush he can feel creeping over his cheeks. “Yes, right, I’ll… I’ll get it for you,” he says and Chloe smiles briefly, her smile full of fondness and Dan dares to believe that maybe-- just maybe-- not all is lost.

But only time will tell.

* * *

 

“Well, hello again Daniel. It’s becoming a habit, don’t you think?”

It is, Dan thinks miserably as he finishes his drink. He’s not quite sure why, but ever since he was released from police custody, he’s found himself at Lucifer’s club every other night. He rarely drinks much and even more rarely does he speak to the owner himself, but he feels oddly centered here, in ways he does not feel anywhere else.

“Are you quite alright?” Lucifer asks, taking a seat next to him, expression troubled. He has this flashes of… _humanity,_ really, where he acts past his Devil persona and it makes Dan feel… _something._

“Yes,” Dan replies, perhaps a tad too quickly and then he makes a face, shaking his head. “No. I don’t know.”

Lucifer rolls his eyes. “Well, do make up your mind. I can not help you if you don’t.”

Dan laughs harshly at that. “You. You want to help me?”

The other man shrugs non committedly, his cheeks just the slightest bit pink, suggesting he’s embarrassed. “People often come to me in their time of need, because I usually can give them whatever the want. So Daniel, tell me, what do you desire?”

Oh, he’s done this to him before. It’s unsettling, really, how easily Lucifer can extract people’s deepest desires with just a choice of words, but… “To belong,” he answers and while he had no idea he was going to say that, now that he has, it makes all the sense in the world. Ever since he was released he’s felt like he doesn’t really belong anywhere anymore: people at work still treat him the same, none the wiser of what really happened with Malcolm but Dan feels like an imposter, like a _liar_ and then Chloe… even when they were separated she’d talk to him, she’d… they were still a team, she trusted him and now… now…

“Ugh, I forget you’re one of the difficult ones,” Lucifer murmurs, tone full of disdain although Dan doesn’t think it’s directed at him. “Well, I suppose the Detective wouldn’t have married you if you were that average.”

Dan huffs. “Thanks, I think?”

“What did she see in you, really? You don’t seem… you were an odd pair, were you not?”

Dan considers this, nursing the new drink that has somehow appeared on his table. “I never knew,” he replies finally, honestly. “Chloe is… she could have done much better.”

“Yes,” Lucifer agrees and Dan throws him a dirty look. “I mean, look at me. Who in their right mind would continue to pine after you having me around?”

Dan can’t help the laugh that escapes him, even as he considers Lucifer’s words. Chloe has never been one to _pine_ . _Not a tragic damsel in a romance novel,_ she’d say.

And yet--

* * *

 

“How does it go? _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned_?”

Dan scoffs, taking another sip of his drink. “You can say that again,” he agrees, shaking his head sadly. “Not that she’s not-- I mean, Chloe has every right to be angry, I get that, but…” He waves a hand vaguely, distantly noticing how slow and sloppy the movement is. “I just wish she’d make up her mind, you know? This in between is…” he looks for a word, scrunching his nose at how fuzzy his head feels. “Hell,” he says finally, earning himself an amused smile from his companion.

“I know what you mean,” Lucifer agrees, ordering yet another round of drinks. It’s late, Dan imagines, judging by how few people are still milling about, but it’s the weekend and unless something terribly important comes up, he’s off work. “Knowledge, no matter how painful, is better than… hoping,” he twist his mouth, unhappy and Dan nods along.

“It’s just that… I love her, you know. And back when we married, I always imagined… what am I gonna do without her, Lucifer?”

Dan realizes, to his great horror, that he’s crying. Lucifer looks horrified himself, evidently not used to deal with displays of emotion. “Sorry, sorry,” Dan apologizes, “I just… I think I’ve drunk too much.”

“It seems so,” Lucifer agrees slowly, looking slightly less panicked now. “Come on, you need to sleep it off,” he says, standing up and dragging Dan along with him.

There’s a question on the tip of Dan’s tongue, but the idea slips away before he can voice it. Something about sleeping arrangements, or perhaps he intended to throw some innuendo. It’s been ages since he tried flirting with a guy; he was never very good and it usually ended _badly_ for him but he imagines Lucifer will only be mildly amused by any attempts of flirting, rather than annoyed or angry.

In any case, Dan doesn’t have the energy or coherence to articulate any thoughts, so he simply allows himself to be dragged away.

It’s all for the best, probably.

* * *

 

“Hello? Anyone here?”

From the general direction of the bedroom, Dan can hear voices and he bites his lip. This was a terrible idea, he knows and he should turn around and leave, but--

“Ah, Daniel. I was wondering whether or not you were going to show up.” From behind Lucifer, a woman in a purple dress glares at Dan, arms crossed over her chest, annoyance clear in her expression.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Dan says, trying to keep his mighty blush under control. “I didn’t mean… I’ll be out of your hair,” he stammers out, turning around on his heel and heading for the elevator.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Lucifer exclaims, “come, come, take a seat.” He gestures at the long couch and he heads for the bar to pour a drink, apparently having forgotten all about his other _guest._

“I don’t think--” Dan begins, but Lucifer hushes him, passing him his drink. Dan takes it, sitting down, telling himself he’s being terribly rude but somehow not caring overly much.

“The Detective was in quite a mood today,” Lucifer continues chatting, sitting in front of Dan. “I tried pointing out to her that all this tension between you and her is starting to affect third parties and guess what she told me?”

“To stop thinking just about yourself?” Dan suggests, watching from the corner of his eye as Lucifer’s _friend_ stomps out of the room, throwing a mighty glare in Dan’s direction.

“Yes! _Not everything is about you, Lucifer!_ ” he mocks, nose scrunched in displeasure. “Can you believe it?” he says dramatically.

“She has a tendency to think the best of people,” Dan murmurs sourly. “She likes you.”

“Well, how could she not?” Lucifer asks, gesturing at himself and Dan rolls his eyes.

“Not like that,” he says. “Or… well, not just like that.”

“Ah,” Lucifer murmurs, sounding oddly awed. Surely this isn’t news to him? “Well, I do think all this tension between you isn’t conductive for _anything._ She should just make up her mind.”

Dan nods. “It’s not that easy, though,” he says, staring at his drink as if it hold all the answers of the world. “I… we… God, I wish I hadn’t been that stupid.” He shakes his head, placing his drink on the table. “All the time I knew… I wanted… I knew it was wrong, but I kept justifying it to myself, telling myself that only… that if I… god, how could I be that stupid?”

Lucifer opens his mouth to reply, but seems to think better of it. Dan picks up his drink once more, taking a long sip form it, contemplating his lousy life choices. “I think the Detective likes you too,” Lucifer says finally, making Dan turn to him. “That’s why she believed the best of you too. And now…” he waves a hand vaguely and Dan sighs, nodding along.

“Relationships are complicated,” Dan says sourly, mouth twisted unhappily.

“They’re really not,” Lucifer argues dismissively and Dan scoffs.

“Have you ever had a real relationship?” he asks, turning to his companion. “I bet you wouldn’t even know what a real relationship looks like.”

“Daniel, I’m offended!” Lucifer exclaims dramatically. “Of course I do! Why, just before you walked in--”

Dan laughs and it sounds a bit bitter, although he doesn’t know why’s that exactly. “That’s not a real relationships, Lucifer. You forgot all about her the moment I walked in!”

“I did not-- I just thought-- would you have rather had me dismiss you?”

 _No,_ Dan thinks guiltily. “That’s not the point. The point is, relationships involve a mutual interest that goes beyond the bedroom.”

Lucifer snorts. “I’m not sure I should be taking relationship advice from you, Mr. Douche.”

Dan glares and Lucifer arches an eyebrow challengingly. An argument breaks out and Dan isn’t exactly angry, he realizes, but mildly amused. He doesn’t think Lucifer is angry either, especially not when he gets a bottle of some really expensive whisky for them to drink while the continue arguing (bickering, really), both coming with increasingly stupid reasons on why they know more about relationships than the other.

It’s an argument Dan has no way of winning.

But it’s fun to try anyway.

* * *

 

A knock on the door wakes Dan shortly after falling asleep. At first, he dismisses it, burying himself deeper under the covers, trying to ignore the headache he can already feel coming. He shouldn’t have drunk quite as much at Lucifer’s and he really shouldn’t have head home afterwards, but staying over had felt like conceding defeat for some reason and so he had eventually stormed out of the penthouse.

Drunk Dan’s logic isn’t the most solid one, really.

Another knock comes and Dan groans, forcing himself to go investigate. It could be important, he figures and so he leaves the relative peace of his too empty bed and goes to open the door, making sure to glare at the person on the other side of it just for the sake of it.

Or at least that’s the plan, until he sees who’s standing on the other side.

“Lucifer?” he asks, wondering if he’s still dreaming, because there’s simply no way--

“You are wrong,” Lucifer informs him, deadly serious, looking thoroughly annoyed and it occurs Dan than leaving was indeed a win, even if it makes not one bit of sense.

“Oh, am I?” he asks, leaning against the doorframe, smirking. “And why--?” But he never gets to finish his question, seeing Lucifer has stepped into his personal space and is kissing him thoroughly, pushing him against the wall, closing the door after him.

“The hell?” Dan questions, when he lands on his bed, still being kissed enthusiastically and he’s not complaining, not really, because God that feels good, but he’d like to understand--

“We’ve talked enough, have we not?” Lucifer says between kisses. “It’s time to show you what I know about relationships.”

“That’s-- this isn’t-- oh God, please don’t stop.”

“Please don’t bring dear old dad into this,” Lucifer says, but he’s grinning devilishly and a shiver goes down Dan’s spine. “I’d hate to run our encounter short because of that.”

Dan opens his mouth, to say what he has no idea, but he promptly decides that silence might be the best policy in these circumstances. Later, they can continue their discussion about relationships and who’s the expert on them, but right now it doesn’t seem to matter.

This isn’t him conceding defeat, but rather offering a truce.

Or something like that. It’s getting hard to think, really. So better not to and just go with the flow.

Yeah, much better.

 

>   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thoughts anyone?  
> I hope you enjoyed it! Hopefully it all made sense and nothing seems too terribly OOC :P  
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here’s a new chapter! I hope it doesn’t get confusing since I keep going forward and backward with the timeline :P This one is supposed to take place a few days after the events of the first chapter, but let me know if something is super confusing ;)  
> Enjoy!

“Well, aren’t you two cute?”

Lucifer rolls his eyes, slowly turning around to face Maze. Daniel shifts, sliding closer, searching for warmth and Lucifer slows his movements even further, not wanting to upset his bedmate but figuring staying in bed while Maze is around isn’t exactly advisable.

“Hello Maze,” he greets, abandoning the comfortable bed and heading for the living room. “For someone who no longer lives here, you sure spend a lot of time around.”

“I’m still between places,” Maze replies easily, following him into the living room, not without throwing one last curious look in Daniel’s direction. Unease creeps over Lucifer’s spine, although why is that exactly, he can’t tell. “I see you’ve got yourself a new  _ roomie _ .”

Lucifer rolls his eyes, picking up his last night’s half-drunk whisky. It tastes funny, so he pours it down the drain. “I couldn’t throw him out in the middle of the night, could I?”

Maze arches an eyebrow challengingly, but Lucifer hurries to pretend he doesn’t notice. “I thought it had been a one-time thing?” Maze says, watching him like a hawk as he pours them both drinks.

“Who said that?” Lucifer asks, ignoring the funny feeling in his stomach. Is he getting sick? Now, that’d be curious. Maybe--

“Well, I mean, you’ve got a few… _ regulars _ , I suppose, but not this  _ regular,  _ if you catch my drift,” Maze points out, the hint of a smirk on her lips. “What does Chloe has to say on the matter?”

“I don’t see how this is any of the Detective’s business,” Lucifer replies with false flippancy, his stomach twisting once more. “She’s never approved of my…” he waves a hand vaguely, hoping to hide his sudden nervousness. “ _ Friends _ .”

“Oh, I’m certain she approves of you sleeping with her _ ex _ even less,” Maze argues, eyes sparkling with mischief. Lucifer huffs, shrugging non committedly. “Is that what you and  _ Daniel  _ are now? Friends?”

Lucifer considers this, swirling his glass absentmindedly. “I’m trying to prove a point,” he says finally, figuring that’s true enough and also the less complicated way to explain what he and Daniel are doing. “I’m trying to prove I do know about relationships.”

Maze is looking at him with a funny expression on her face, caught between amusement and pity. “So he’s your boyfriend now?” she question after a beat, and Lucifer can tell she’s having a hard time trying to contain laughter which he doesn’t like, not one bit. 

“Yes. Kind of,” he says with as much conviction as he can muster.

Maze smirks, raising her glass. “Cheers, then,” she says. “To you and your new boyfriend.”

Lucifer raises his glass in a silent toast too, ignoring the way his stomach insists on performing acrobatics.

What’s wrong with him, anyway?

* * *

 

“So, we need to discuss this,” Daniel says, stumbling out of the bedroom some time later. Lucifer doesn’t move from his place on the piano, still playing a few keys aimlessly, eyes closed as he listens to the melody.

“Discuss what?” he prompts, replying the sequence, nodding along. He can hear Daniel moving around the place, searching for something. “If you’re looking for your pants, I’m afraid they were unsavable. I had to put them out of their misery this morning.”

He can practically hear Daniel’s eye roll, before he appears next to him, hands on his hips. “I need to get to work.”

“There’s a change of clothes in the closet,” Lucifer replies airly, waving a hand. “You left an overnight bag a couple of weeks ago, remember? After the incident we shall not discuss?” Meaning of course that teary-eyed conversation. Afterwards, the overnight bag had seemed like a good idea even if Lucifer couldn’t quite pinpoint why and, in retrospective, he must congratulate himself for his excellent thinking.

Daniel opens his mouth to reply and then seems to think better of it, heading back into the bedroom to look for said bag, presumably. Lucifer stands up, heading for what passes as the kitchen, even if food rarely gets consumed or prepared there. He picks out a yogur from the fridge and an apple, smiling at himself as he places the items on the counter for Daniel to pick up before he leaves.

“We do need to talk,” Daniel repeats, reappearing into the living room, holding a bunch of clean clothes to his chest. “I’m serious.”

Lucifer hums. “When you come back from work, perhaps? Or I suppose I could join you in the shower, but I doubt we’ll get any talking done if I do that,” he wiggles his eyebrows meaningfully and the other man rolls his eyes, but his blush betrays his real thoughts on the matter.

“Later,” Daniel sentences meaningfully and Lucifer shrugs, going back to the piano, already done with the conversation. His companion hesitates for a beat, before disappearing in the direction of the bathroom and Lucifer closes his eyes once more, playing a few keys while humming to himself, without a single concern in the world.

* * *

 

“Ah, Detective! You continue being grumpy, I see.”

Chloe rolls her eyes dramatically, her focus on the case file she’s revising. Lucifer drops himself on one of the chairs in front of her desk, earning himself another eye roll as he starts twirling around, bored out of his mind.

“I did not call you here, you know?” Chloe points out, annoyance clear in her tone. “Don’t you have a club to run or something?”

Lucifer shrugs non committedly. “The club practically runs itself these days,” he replies easily. “I find this much more interesting,” he continues with a smile and Chloe rolls her eyes once more. “I’d think you’d understand, given your…  _ devotion  _ to your work.”

Chloe puts the file down, eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

She’s much too easy to rile up, really. “Well, you spend most of your time here, don’t you?”

Chloe opens her mouth to protest, but Lucifer carries on before she can. “When was the last time you went out? Had some fun?”

Chloe’s mouth snaps shut, anger clear in her features. “I have plenty of fun, thank you very much.”

“Really?” Lucifer insists, leaning forward. “Name 3 friends you could call to go for a night out. And me and Daniel don’t count, obviously.”

Chloe’s mouth twists unhappily, but she quickly smooths out her expression. “How are things going between you two anyway? It’s no longer casual, is it?” she asks, tone falsely flippant.

“Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?” he goads, mostly for fun, but he quickly notices the blush spreading across his companion’s cheeks. “Oh my! You are  _ jealous,  _ Detective!” he says, amused and Chloe huffs, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.

“I’m not-- that’s not--” she splutters out, blushing even more and Lucifer grins, amused and pleased.

“Well Detective, that wasn’t what I had in mind when I said you needed to have some fun, but really… all you need to do is ask,” he smirks at her and Chloe blushes some more, quickly becoming more and more flustered.

“That’s not--  _ Lucifer _ !” she exclaims, red as a tomato, and she really looks quite adorable like this. “That’s-- forget it,” she says, standing up abruptly, nearly dropping her file in her attempt to escape quickly. Before she can actually escape though, she bumps into someone, actually dropping her files this time, sending documents flying.

“Sorry, Chloe,” Daniel says, already helping her to pick up the papers, completely oblivious to the woman’s flustered state. “I didn’t-- are you quite alright?” he asks, finally noticing how red she is and Lucifer grins, leaning back on his seat, watching them closely.

“Fine!” Chloe squeeks, taking the documents from Daniel, going back to her previous attempt of escaping Lucifer’s presence. “Totally fine!” she repeats, practically running away and Lucifer grins mischievously, more than a little amused.

“What was that?” Daniel asks, finally turning to face Lucifer. “What did you say to her?”

Lucifer grins some more, standing up in one fluid movement, coming to stand into the other man’s personal space. “Nothing at all, my dear,” he replies, enjoying the way Daniel blushes furiously at the pet name. “Should we have lunch? Seems like a good time for that conversation you want to have.”

Daniel opens and closes his mouth several times, evidently still confused about his brief encounter with Chloe and taken aback by Lucifer’s proposal. Finally, he nods, expression guarded.

“We might as well, I suppose,” he says finally and Lucifer smiles once more.

“Excellent!” he says, placing a hand on the small of his companion’s back, guiding him in the direction of the exit. “I know just the place.” From the corner of his eye, he can see Chloe watching them while also pretending to be very busy watching Ella work. Lucifer throws a wink in her direction and the Detective hurries to look away, making Lucifer smirk some more, although his stomach does another one of those acrobatics turns it seems to do all the time nowadays.

He thinks he might be coming down with something.

With what exactly, he’s not sure.

* * *

 

“So, what are we doing?” Daniel asks, once they’ve taken a seat at the small cafe, while Lucifer surveys the menu.

“Having lunch, it’d seem,” Lucifer replies easily. “Do keep up, Daniel.”

“That’s not what I meant,” the other man hisses, sounding annoyed and Lucifer frowns, putting down his menu. “I mean… us. What’s this?” he says, gesturing between them, which just puzzles Lucifer further.

“I fear you’ll need to be more specific,” he says, still frowning and Daniel sighs, looking upwards.

“I mean… I thought it was just a one-time thing,” Daniel says, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I didn’t think… I thought you were just proving a point.”

“Oh, I am,” Lucifer replies easily, leaning forward too. “I’m proving to you I do know how to have a relationship,” he adds, sensing his companion’s confusion. “Didn’t I make that clear?”

Daniel watches him in silence, processing his words and Lucifer rolls his eyes, leaning back on his seat once more. “No, I don’t think you did,” Daniel says finally. 

“Well,” Lucifer replies, feeling his stomach sink and he’s seriously considering going to a doctor now, because clearly there’s something wrong with him. “Then it seems you truly don’t know as much about relationships as you thought, huh?”

Daniel glares, thoroughly unimpressed. “Sure. I’m the one who knows nothing,” he murmurs sarcastically and Lucifer frowns, considering his tone before deciding it doesn’t matter.

“Well, nevermind that,” he replies flippantly, calling for their waiter since it seems he has actually worked an appetite. “Stick with me and you’ll be an expert soon enough.”

Daniel huffs, amused. “So we’re doing this? Seriously?”

“Yes, of course!” Lucifer exclaims. “I don’t do anything halfway,” he smirks, raising one eyebrow. “You’d know about that.”

Daniel blushes, a soft chuckle escaping him. “You’re incorregible.”

“One of my most charming qualities, I’m told,” Lucifer replies joyfully as their waiter approaches them and from the corner of his eye he catches Daniel fond, wondering look, which makes his heart skip a beat.

Oh dear. Now there’s something wrong with his heart too.

He really ought to start looking for a doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thoughts anyone?  
> This is rather on the short side but I ended up editing quite a bit since it felt too forced and not at all IC, so….  
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here’s a new chapter! I’m terribly sorry for the late update, my inspiration ran away from me :( But here I am, finally back and I hope you’ll enjoy the new chapter ;)

Trying to avoid one’s ex when you happen to work together is a bit tricky, but Chloe is rather proud of how good she’s gotten at it. Avoiding Dan comes as second nature now; it becomes as natural as breathing to the point where she barely notices she’s doing it at all.

Or so she likes to tell herself.

Avoiding Lucifer is a bit trickier: he is her partner after all. But she tries to keep her focus on the work, tuning off her companions almost incessant chatter most of the time (something she used to do a lot in the past anyway) and covering her ears and humming very loudly whenever he happens to mention Dan, even if it’s in passing.

That might be a bit childish of her, but to be fair, Lucifer can be quite a child from time to time.

“And so we spent the night at the ER, thanks to Daniel and his silly allergies. I had plans, Detective! Devilish good plans, if I might say so myself and he--”

Chloe frowns, her brain finally catching with Lucifer’s chatter. “The ER? Whatever happened?”

Lucifer rolls his eyes dramatically. “Shrimps, Detective! Weren’t you listening?”

She blinks, processing the words as Lucifer holds open the door for her. She wasn’t paying attention and she realizes asking for a retold it’s probably a bad idea, but she is worried about Dan now and--

“Hey Chloe!” Dan greets cheerfully, startling her a little. He seems perfectly fine, she thinks, certainly not like someone who has just had a brush with death due his allergies. “Lucifer,” he adds, tone oddly soft and fond and something inside Chloe twists.

“ _ Darling _ ,” Lucifer greets, leaning down to place a peck on Dan’s lips and Chloe quickly looks away. “I was just telling the Detective about our little weekend misadventure.”

“Oh,” Dan says, looking embarrassed. “It was… I was a little distracted to notice what you were feeding me.”

“That was kind of the point,” Lucifer protests sulkily and the only thing stopping Chloe from covering her ears is that they’re in the middle of the office and she refuses to act like a child in the middle of the precinct.

“As insightful as this whole conversation is,” a new voice interrupts and Chloe turns to look at Ella, caught somewhere between being thankful for the other woman’s presence and being horrified. “Don’t you want to know what I’ve learned about our vic?”

“Yes!” Chloe exclaims, happy to have found a way out of the conversation. “Yes, the victim! the murder victim! the victim of the murder we’re investigating!”

Lucifer arches an eyebrow, looking mildly confused and Dan has the decency to blush a little, hurrying to excuse himself and exiting the room. Ella smirks, throwing a knowing look in Lucifer’s direction and hurrying back into professional mood after noticing Chloe’s dark look.

God, when did her life turn into this soap opera?

* * *

 

“So shrimps, huh?”

Chloe holds back a groan, turning to glare at Ella instead. The forensic has the good grace to offer her a sympathetic smile and Chloe buries her face between her arms in frustration. “I just can’t believe how well they’re getting along.”

“Like a house on fire,” Ella agrees, nodding sagely. “They make one hell of a hot couple too,” she adds with a playful wink and Chloe blushes furiously. That’s something she refuses to contemplate too long, for various reasons.

“Ella that’s not-- that’s unprofessional!” she exclaims, for lack of something better to say and the younger woman laughs good naturedly, bumping her shoulder.

“Fine, but you’ve got to admit--”

“They hated each other guts!” Chloe interrupts, refusing to continue down that particular rabbit hole. “Lucifer called Dan  _ Detective Douche  _ for the most part of their acquaintance and now-- now--”

“Well, Lucifer doesn’t have the best social skills,” Ella points out and Chloe arches an eyebrow. “Oh, sure, he has his neat trick, but have you noticed how bad he’s at showing any real emotion?” she asks with a smirk and Chloe considers this carefully. “He was probably pulling at Dan’s proverbial pigtails, trying to get a reaction out of him.”

_ That’s not what happened, was it? _ Chloe frowns, chewing her lip thoughtfully. Ella does have a point, she must admit, even if it makes little sense to her. Then again--

_ Huh _ . “You know, you might be onto something,” she says, a smile coming unbidden to her lips. It’s kinda cute, when you think about it and when you also refuse to consider this is your  _ ex _ and your  _ whatever  _ you’re talking about. “Dan isn’t that great at expressing emotions either.”

“There you have it,” Ella declares, smiling. “They’re perfect for each other.”

Chloe’s heart constrics, but she smiles all the same. 

What else can she do, really?

* * *

 

“So this is all Lucifer’s idea?”

Maze rolls her eyes dramatically, gesturing for the barman to get them some drinks. Chloe tries to refuse, but the other woman practically forces the dainty martini cup into her hand, throwing a meanancing look to get her to drink it. In regular circumstances, Chloe wouldn’t be so easily intimidated, but she doesn’t feel like arguing right now.

“Why are you so caught up on the details?” Maze asks, taking a sip from her drink. “Yes, Lucifer asked me to take you out. He said you could use a little  _ relaxation _ .”

Chloe doesn’t particularly care for Maze’s tone, since it seems to be suggesting something other than drinks, but she doesn’t question it, at least not yet, taking a sip of her own drink. “I thought he wasn’t the boss of you anymore.”

Maze narrows her eyes, her whole expression suggesting Chloe should think about her words very carefully. “He’s not,” she hisses, looking away. “But you do seem a little tense lately. Which is funny, because divorced ladies are supposed to be horribly depressed or in the mood to party at all times.”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “This isn’t a TV drama,” she murmurs sulkily and Maze chuckles. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?” she asks, deciding switching topics might be for the best.

Maze smirks, looking at something over Chloe’s shoulder. She turns around slowly, uncertain what she’ll find and she comes face to face with Dr. Linda Martin, who’s wearing an embarrassed smile. 

Well, it can’t be that bad, can it? It’s not like Linda is here to psychoanalyze her.

Is she?

* * *

 

Three martinis later (or were they five?), Chloe is definitely feeling much more relaxed. It also helps that they’ve been joined by Ella at some point: sometimes the forensic is a little too chiper for her but Chloe does like her and she does think it helps to balance things a bit: Linda is friendly, of course, but she’s more Maze’s friend than her own.

Although after tonight, that might no longer be the case. It seems all this  _ bonding  _ is much more easier than she remembers it being when she was younger.

Or that might be alcohol.

“Let’s sing!” Linda proposes, standing up on shaky legs, Maze hurrying to steady her shortly after. The psychologist laughs merrily, clinging to Maze’s arms, completely unbothered by her near fall. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Normally, Chloe is not one to drag attention to herself, but singing does sound like a lot of fun and Ella is already pushing her towards the stage, so she doesn’t try to resist. She laughs along the other women, singing incredibly off tune much to the bar’s other patrons horror. They’re all too drunk to care though and so they keep it up for a while, laughing like madwomen.

Maybe Lucifer is right. Maybe she does need to have a little fun every now and then.

Who would have thought?

* * *

 

“I’m just saying, I didn’t think he had it in him,” Maze declares solemnly and Linda snorts, amused. Chloe blinks, realizing she’s having some trouble focusing and promptly decides that’s not really something to worry about, at least not right now.

“Sorry, what are we discussing?” she asks with an innocent smile and Maze turns to look at her, as if she had forgotten she was there. Did she zoom out for long? She doesn’t remember that, not really, but maybe--

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Decker,” Maze says with a devilish grin. “You had us worried for a minute, but lucky you, we have two doctors in our group.”

“I’m not that kind of doctor,” Linda protests and Ella nods along.

“Yes, I mean… you want to know how to kill someone, I’m your girl. Keeping someone alive? no so much,” the forensic says with a sheepish smile and Chloe knows she should find that a bit worrisome, but can’t bring herself to care right now.

“Right,” she murmurs, shaking her head to clear it up although of course it has the opposite effect. “What did I miss?”

“Well, we got kicked out of the bar for starters,” Maze says and that’s when Chloe realizes her surroundings are indeed a little different. Less crowded, for starters. “We’re at Linda’s,” Maze continues. “She’s the only one with a place to crash in, apparently.”

Chloe groans, burying her face in her arms. Right, her housing situation. Her housing situation she’s doing her best not to think about. “I suggested dropping at Lux,” Maze carries on, a lazy smirk on her lips. “But Linda say we shouldn’t drop by uninvited, in case we interrupted something, you know.” She grins like the Cheshire cat and Chloe can feel ice running through her veins for some reason. “It’d be a little awkward, you being Dan’s ex and all that.”

“Maze,” Linda chides, but her tone is full of affection and Chloe shakes her head. 

“It doesn’t bother me,” she declares, earning herself a raised eyebrow from all her companions. “It really doesn’t!” she insists, only then realizing how desperate she sounds.

“We know,” Ella states, patting her shoulder indulgently. “Don’t worry, you’ll get over it soon enough.”

“I don’t-- I don’t need-- I’m fine with it!” Chloe exclaims and she wonders when did she become such a lousy liar.

“It’s perfectly natural,” Linda asures her, patting her knee. “You and Dan were together for a long time and you and Lucifer-- well.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean? “We didn’t-- I mean, I don’t-- I mean--” she takes a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. “I’m happy for them. I honestly am. I was the one who asked Dan for a divorce and Lucifer… he’s not… it wouldn’t have worked.” It wouldn’t, she knows, because Lucifer is incapable of the commitment she normally asks from her partners, but then he’s been dating Dan for a while and he seems committed, so maybe--

“You know what you need?” Ella asks loudly, startling her out from her rather glom line of thought. “You need to get back on the game,” she nods to herself saguely, a smile on her face. “Get some loving of your own.”

“No!” Chloe exclaims, slightly terrified of the whole prospect of trying to date again. “No, no, no. I’m not-- that’s not happening.” She shakes her head, ignoring the way it has started pounding. “I’m fine. I don’t need-- I don’t want a relationship.”

“She might have a point, you know,” Maze says, leaning back on the couch, watching her carefully. “It’d do wonders to help you relax.”

“I don’t--”

“And I mean, you’re not really my type, but I suppose I could give it a go,” Maze states, suddenly in Chloe’s personal space and when did that happen? “No, no, think about it,” she says, cupping Chloe’s face gently when she tries to pull away. “If nothing else, it’ll drive both Lucifer and Dan up the wall.”

Chloe opens her mouth to refuse-- and finds herself actually thinking about it. She must be much drunker than she thought to even consider this, of course, but it makes some kind of twisted sense, doesn’t it? Or at least it makes sense to drunk Chloe and she’s the one in control right now, so--

“Maze,” Linda calls, breaking the spell, making Chloe look away from the other woman’s very hypnotic eyes. “That’s not a good idea,” she says, addressing Chloe, tone gentle but earnest. “You need to talk to them.”

Chloe scoffs, resting her head against the back of the couch. “Whatever for?” she asks, perhaps a tad peluntantly. “They’re happy,” she says, tone sad but not bitter. “And I’m their friend and as their friend… I’ll learn to be fine with it.”

Or so she hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thoughts anyone?  
> Chloe is going to do some moping around while she figures things out, but she’ll get there, I promise. Meanwhile, Dan and Lucifer are going to continue figuring out their own relationship and hopefully, things will start working themselves out at some point :P  
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought?

**Author's Note:**

> So, thoughts anyone?  
> I hope it wasn’t terribly confusing; next chapter shall take us a bit into the past and we’ll be seeing how Lucifer and Dan got into their little… predicament.  
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought?  
> English is not my native language, so any mistakes you find, please point them out!  
> You can also find me in [tumblr](http://ylc1.tumblr.com/)


End file.
